Curious Edmond (The Perverted Peasant, Esprit 1782, fig6) - Binet

6th scene
Subject. Mr Parangon wants to take Manon in his arms: the young woman hears something near the door and approaches fearfully to see what it is. We see Edmond looking curiously, then withdrawing.

"I am constantly losing myself in the customs of the city (customs, meaning habits, behaviour, ways of acting): Who would have thought? ... O my brother, it is only to you that I dare reveal this mystery ... I don't know where to begin ... Yesterday, Mr Parangon and Miss Manon ... Oh! It's very bad! I would never have believed that Miss Manon... Anyway, yesterday, I went to look for something I needed above Mrs Parangon's room: this room is never open; however, I thought I heard Miss Manon's voice; curiosity, a tendency I have to find myself where she is, made me approach and listen. I was very foolish when I heard Mr. Parangon too. I was about to leave, but something strange held me back; it was as if he had kissed her. I couldn't resist the temptation to look through the keyhole; [my head pushed the door, which gave way a little] and I saw, yes, my dear brother, I saw my master holding a young girl in his arms, whose face I could not see, but who could only be his wife's cousin, since I had just heard her voice [...] and as they changed places, and I did not dare to stay because of a small noise the door had made, I saw nothing more (subject of the sixth figure); but I did not hear the one who was there defend herself. (ed. François Jost, L'Age d'homme, 1977, vol. 1, pp. 47-8)